IT was a happy managerial baptism for Graeme Irving when he temporarily took charge of Durham City in Saturday’s Ebac Northern League Division One game against Newcastle Benfield.

IT was a happy managerial baptism for Graeme Irving when he temporarily took charge of Durham City in Saturday’s Ebac Northern League Division One game against Newcastle Benfield.

With manager Adam Furness and his assistant Ian Skinner at a wedding, Irving held the reins and was delighted with a 4-0 winning performance.

He said: “We built on an early first goal and were comfortable from start to finish.

“We passed the ball well and worked as a unit.

“It was a solid display and we now go to Consett on Boxing Day looking for back-to-back wins.”

While Durham celebrated moving up to sixth-from-bottom, six points outside the relegation zone, Benfield are only a place and a point above them having played two more.

The Tynesiders made the worst possible start, conceding two goals in the opening 19 minutes, but with a bit of luck they too could have scored.

Scott Fenwick picked up a loose ball and ran at the defence before firing past goalkeeper Andrew Grainger from outside the penalty area.

He was close to a second goal but was denied as the ball bounced off the chest of Grainger.

At the other end, both David Southern and Sam Norris went close to equalising.

Benfield breathed a sigh of relief as Fenwick hit the upright but then Durham had another let-off when Nick Deverdics’ goalbound effort was hastily cleared off the line by Craig Ellison. At this stage, Benfield were very much in the game but they went two down as Fenwick got ahead of his marker to sweep the ball low into the net.

At the other end, Jordan Marshall went close to reducing the deficit but it was just about all over for Anthony Woodhouse’s team as Ellison slid the ball home following a pass by debutant Peter Glen-Ravenhill.

Scott Fenwick missed a good opportunity to complete a hat-trick before his brother Ricky made it four on 55 minutes, rounding Grainger before slotting the ball into the empty net.

City coasted home but in the last minute goalkeeper Gareth Young made the save of the match to deny Lawrence McKenna.

The only other game to go ahead in Division One was on Teesside, where Billingham Synthonia beat Marske United 4-1.

The Division Two fixtures fared even worse with only one game going ahead, Stokesley SC drawing 2-2 Chester-le-Street.

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